Many people have a habit of taking calcium supplements in hopes of strengthening bones. However, taking the wrong dose can have drawbacks and even pose health risks, including an increased risk of heart disease.
Why do you need calcium?
Our bodies need calcium to build and maintain strong bones. More than 99% of the calcium in the body is stored in our bones and teeth.
In the blood, calcium is used to send nerve signals, release hormones such as insulin, and regulate how muscles and blood vessels contract and relax.
What’s important is that if you don’t get the recommended amount of calcium in your diet, your body will take it from your bones and teeth to use elsewhere, weakening our bones.
So how much calcium do you need each day?
Here are the Institute of Medicine’s recommended calcium doses, by age:
Women 50 and younger: 1,000 mg per day
Men 70 years and younger: 1,000 mg per day
Women over 50 years: 1,200 mg per day
Men over 70 years: 1,200 mg per day
There is also a recommended upper limit for calcium intake. The limit is 2,500 mg per day for adults up to age 50 and 2,000 mg per day for adults over 50 years of age.
You can get enough calcium through your diet. Foods high in calcium include dairy products, some leafy greens, beans, nuts, and tofu.
However, people who do not eat enough calcium-rich foods may consider taking supplements.
When should calcium be taken?
The time you take calcium supplements also affects the body’s ability to absorb calcium. According to nutritionists, calcium is best added in the morning, 30-60 minutes after eating. You can also take a calcium supplement after lunch. In addition, there are three factors that determine when you should take calcium supplements:
Calcium Type: Check the label for the type of calcium supplement you are taking. Calcium citrate can be taken with or without food. Calcium carbonate should be taken with food. The acid that your stomach produces when you eat helps your body absorb calcium carbonate more efficiently.
The timing of calcium intake greatly affects the body’s ability to absorb calcium
Total daily dose: Calcium is best absorbed when taken in smaller doses (usually less than 600 milligrams at a time). If you take 1,000 mg of calcium per day, divide it into two or more doses throughout the day.
Medicines and other functional foods: Calcium supplements can interact with many prescription medications, including antibiotics, bisphosphonates, and high blood pressure medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible interactions between calcium supplements and your medications.
You should also take calcium supplements at times in addition to a multivitamin or iron-rich foods. Calcium can affect how your body absorbs iron, zinc, and magnesium.
If you are still unsure about the best time to take calcium supplements, consult your doctor or pharmacist for guidance.
When is the best time to take calcium for pregnant women?
Calcium is very important whether you are pregnant or not, but for mothers-to-be, it is very important. Calcium not only helps build the baby’s bones, but also helps maintain the health of the mother’s bones. That’s important, because if you don’t consume enough calcium for your growing baby, your body will deplete its own reserves – putting you at higher risk of bone loss during pregnancy and increasing your risk of osteoporosis, bone loss later in life.
Calcium supplements are generally considered safe for pregnant women, but too much calcium from supplements can cause unpleasant side effects such as bloating or constipation. Taking a calcium supplement, combined with a food source that provides enough calcium throughout the day, will usually provide enough of the mineral to support you and your baby during pregnancy.
If you think your diet may not be getting enough calcium, or if you are a vegetarian or lactose intolerant, pay extra attention to calcium-rich plant sources – such as dark green leafy vegetables, tofu and beans. Your doctor may also recommend calcium supplements if you are not eating enough and are at risk for preeclampsia.
So when is the best time to consume calcium for pregnant women? During pregnancy, expectant mothers often have to supplement with many vitamins and minerals to ensure the comprehensive and healthy development of the fetus. If you are also taking iron supplements, remember that you should not take calcium supplements at the same time, as they can interfere with iron absorption (wait two hours after each supplement).
Nutritionists believe that calcium should be taken in the morning (between 7 and 8 am) to be most easily absorbed by the body, reducing the risk of calcium accumulation in the kidneys and urinary tract. Do not take calcium before meals to avoid affecting the stomach. Therefore, pregnant women should drink calcium after breakfast about an hour.
In addition, you can also consume calcium after lunch about an hour. Usually, one day an adult calcium deficiency It takes about 1000mg of calcium, preferably for the dose to be taken after breakfast and lunch so that the body can absorb calcium slowly, it will be more effective.
Pregnant women should not consume calcium in the afternoon or evening, especially after 9 pm. Note that calcium should not be taken with milk, coffee, fruit juices… Also, you should not eat overly salty foods while taking calcium supplements as they can increase the excretion of calcium through the urine, leading to calcium loss.
What time should children take calcium?
The best way to supplement calcium for young children is through a diet with naturally calcium-rich foods such as milk, eggs, leafy greens, cheese… However, for some children, the addition of functional foods Calcium storage capacity is also a way to ensure calcium intake for children -child. However, effective calcium fortification for infants needs to be given at the right time, in the right dose and in the right way.
According to nutritionists, the morning is the best time of day to increase calcium for children. This is a time when children need to be given a lot of energy throughout the day, also when children are best exposed to sunlight to help synthesize vitamin D.
In addition, when supplementing with calcium in the morning, children are active throughout the day, helping to absorb calcium better, the amount of calcium introduced has the most effective time to be metabolized into the skeleton.
Parents give calcium supplements to children after breakfast for approximately 30-60 minutes, combined with children to drink lots of water during the day to maximize calcium absorption. Children should not take calcium at night, which can easily lead to deposition due to poor metabolism, leading to digestive and kidney problems, and affecting their sleep.
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